Planning a trip to Mulege
Arriving
If you arrive by bus, you will be dropped off at the entrance to town. From there, you can walk the few blocks downhill and east into town, or take a taxi. Taxis also line up around the plaza and usually charge around $2.50 to $6 for a trip anywhere in town.
Visitor Information
There is no official office, but tourist information is available at the office of the centrally located Hotel Las Casitas, Calle Francisco Madero 50 (tel. 615/153-0019). Several maps that list key attractions, as well as a local biweekly English-language newspaper, the Mulegé Post, are available throughout town. Also of interest to serious travelers to Mulegé is Kerry Otterstrom's self-published book Mulegé: The Complete Tourism, Souvenir, and Historical Guide, available at shops and hotels in town.
The State Tourism Office of Baja California Sur can be reached by calling tel. 612/124-0199.
City Layout
Mulegé has an essentially east-west orientation, running from the Carretera Transpeninsular in the west to the Sea of Cortez. The Mulegé River (also known as Río Santa Rosalía) borders the town to the south, with a few hotels and RV parks along its southern shore. It's easy to find the principal sights downtown, where two main streets will take you either east or west; both border the central plaza. The main church is several blocks east of the plaza, breaking with the traditional layout of most Mexican towns. The Bahía Concepción is 11km (6 3/4 miles) south.
Fast Facts
Area Code -- The telephone area code is 615.
Banks -- This little town nearly made it a decade into the 21st century without having its own bank. Luckily, cash-strapped visitors can now visit the Bancomer on Zaragoza between Martínez and Madero.
Beach Safety -- Beaches in the area are generally tranquil and safe for swimming. The more protected waters of Bahía Concepción are especially calm. Avoid swimming at the mouth of the Mulegé River, which is said to be polluted.
Internet Access -- Most of the hotels in town offer Internet access and Wi-Fi for hotel guests and visitors.
Medical Care -- Emergency medical services are offered by the Mexican Red Cross (tel. 615/153-0110) and the Health Center ISSSTE (tel. 615/153-0298).
Parking -- Street parking is generally easy to find in the downtown area. Note, however, that Mulegé's streets are very narrow and difficult for RVs and other large vehicles to navigate. Also, many streets are one-way.
Pharmacy -- Farmacia Ruben, Calle Francisco Madero s/n, at the northwest corner of the central plaza (no phone), is a small drugstore with a sampling of basic necessities and medicines. The owner speaks some English. Across the plaza, Supermercado Alba (no phone) has a somewhat wider selection of other goods and toiletries. Both are open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 7pm.
Post Office -- The correo is at the intersection of calles Francisco Madero and General Martínez, on the north side of the street, opposite the downtown Pemex station (tel. 615/153-0205). It is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 3pm, and Saturday from 8 to 11am.
Getting Around
There is no local bus service in town or to the beach, but you can easily walk or take a taxi. Taxis line up around the central plaza, or you can call the taxi dispatch at tel. 615/153-0420.
Bicycles are available for rent from Cortez Explorers, Moctezuma 75-A (tel. 615/153-0500; www.cortez-explorers.com). Prices start at $20 for the first day, then drop to $15 per day for the first week, and are less per day after that. It also has full dive- and snorkel-equipment rentals. It's open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 1pm and 4 to 7pm.
Mulegé is so small that it's easy to find anything you're looking for, even though most buildings don't have numbered addresses.
Getting There
By Plane
The closest international airport is in Loreto, 137km (85 miles) south. From Loreto, you'll need to rent a car or hire a taxi for the 1 1/2-hour trip; taxis average 800 pesos each way.
Small regional or private charter planes can get you all the way to town: El Gallito, a well-maintained, graded, 1,200m (4,000-ft.) airstrip, adjoins the Hotel Serenidad, Carretera Transpeninsular Km 30 (www.hotelserenidad.com/airstrip.htm, or use radio frequency UNICOM 122.8). For additional information, contact the Comandancia del Aeropuerto in Loreto (tel. 613/135-0565), from 7am to 7pm daily.
By Car
From Tijuana, take Carretera Transpeninsular (Hwy. 1) direct to the Mulegé turnoff, 998km (619 miles) south (approx. 16 hr.). From La Paz, take Carretera Transpeninsular north, a scenic route that winds through foothills and then skirts the eastern coastline. The trip takes about 6 hours; it's roughly 496km (308 miles).
By Bus
Mulegé's new bus station (tel. 615/135-2552), on the highway north of the entrance to town by La Noria restaurant, can accommodate travelers in standard and luxury buses up and down the peninsula. A ticket to or from Loreto ranges from 120 to 200 pesos, and a ride to Santa Rosalía ranges from 60 to 100 pesos, depending on whether you select the standard or luxury option. Schedules are highly variable, but buses stay for about 20 minutes while dropping off and picking up passengers. Tickets to Tijuana average 300 pesos; the one-way fare to La Paz is about 200 pesos.
